What to do with my Alienware Area-51 7700?

Jad

The Alienware Area-51 7700 is the first Alienware laptop I bought. After nearly 3 years of daily use, it's today not working at all (It was repaired 3 times by Alienware in Ireland): when I plug it on power supply and turn it on, everything turns on except the screen and the fans... I'm almost sure it is the GPU, so I bought a new one from an advanced seller on eBay. Now I'll try it on the laptop.

I bought it 3 269,58 € in 2005 on Alienware's official website. Here are some of its specifications:

1 | AREA51M

1 | AREA-51M 7700 5.3 GREY 17" SXGA+ W/CAM

1 | P4 660 3.6GHZ 2MB 800FSB LGA775

2 | CORSAIR 512MB DDR2 PC4200 SO-DIMM (+ a single 512MB added after purchase)

1 | AREA-51M 7700 D900T NVIDIA 6800GO WITH 256MB DDR3 MODULE (+ a new one bought on eBay from Bulgaria)

2 | HITACHI NOTEBOOK 60GB 7200RPM HD

1 | AREA-51M 7700 8X DVD+/-RW NEC

1 | CASTLENET802.11BG WM1270 MINI PCI WIRELESS ADAPTER

1 | INTEL MOBILE INTEGRATED HIGH-DEFINITION AUDIO

1 | MOUSE PAD

1 | ALIENWARE MASTER CD

1 | MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP PRO OEM FRENCH

1 | CYBERLINK POWERDVD 8 CHANNEL 7.1 XP

1 | NERO EXPRESS WITH NERO VISION EXPRESS SOFTWARE BUNDLE

1 | MICROSOFT WORKS 8 FRENCH

1 | ALIENAUTOPSY: AUTOMATED TECHNICAL SUPPORT REQUEST SYSTEM

1 | ALIENWARE LAPTOP BINDER MANUAL

1 | ALIENWARE AREA-51M D900T KEY PAD UK

1 | CUSTOMER SUPPORT WRTY MOBILE (NO COST)

1 | RAID 0 STRIPING 2 DRIVES

1 | BELKIN N52 NOSTROMO SPEEDPAD

1 | Thank you for choosing Alienware. (This on was free :p)

Ok, so I'm wondering: what should I do with this laptop if I can't repair it myself even with this new part? I sent it to Ztronics in the USA, a company specialised in Alienware repair...but they refused it, I never knew exactly why... Do you think I can get this Alienware repaired here in Lebanon? If not, can I sell it here in Lebanon? If any of you thinks he can repair this laptop by himself (or by any other way), I wouldn't refuse selling it to him so he can repair it and keep it.

J4D

for how much are you selling ?!

Jad

I don't really know, with the Alienware mousepad, the Logitech MX1000 mouse (Also not working) and the Nostromo N52 Gamepad (working, in good condition), the additional ram and the new GPU (not tested yet), how much would you give? I had a quick look at your blog, you seem to know a lot in these things.

Flakk

I would Give it a 300$ if everything was fully working. Sorry to say that but with its current condition its guaranteed no one will buy it. No one can be 100% sure that it can be repaired anyways.

rolf

Jad wrotewhen I plug it on power supply and turn it on, everything turns on except the screen and the fans...

By "everything", what do you mean?? :-)
I dont think theres much left to turn on besides these, but I'd like to know more details!

BTW, why dont you try repairing it yourself?
PS: Might be the CPU also. Or the MB. especially if it's overclocked.

Jad

Flakk wroteI would Give it a 300$ if everything was fully working. Sorry to say that but with its current condition its guaranteed no one will buy it. No one can be 100% sure that it can be repaired anyways.

Honestly, I was thinking about a little more than 600$. But I think you're right saying that.

@rolf

I know what do you mean :p By "everything", I mean every part of the laptop except the GPU. At last, I think...because when I first had this issue, all the fans turned on except the one for the GPU...now, after the attempt to repair that a Lebanese seller in Burkina Faso did, they all stopped working.

I tried to repair it by myself once. At this time, the laptop was able to turn on correctly and let Windows XP start. The only problem was that the GPU fan didn't turn on. What I did is to plug this fan to a USB input, so the fan can work when the laptop is on. It didn't work, because when I removed the fan from its normal input, the CPU fan stopped instead...I'm not able to try the new GPU I bought because I don't have the appropriate screwdriver for the moment.

duckster

you're actually shipping your laptop to ireland every time? and are you doing it from lebanon or burkina faso?
the way I see it man is that you are paying more on shipping than you would to buy a new laptop.
I say keep it aside as spare parts and get yourself a new notebook (not a desktop-like laptop).

Jad

duckster wroteyou're actually shipping your laptop to ireland every time? and are you doing it from lebanon or burkina faso?
the way I see it man is that you are paying more on shipping than you would to buy a new laptop.
I say keep it aside as spare parts and get yourself a new notebook (not a desktop-like laptop).

It was a long time ago, when it was still under warranty. I was sending it from Burkina Faso to Ireland. Sometimes I pay on shipping, sometimes not... I don't think so. On the contrary, I'll lose more if I do not make use of this warranty. Why? Firstly, because it costs 3 269,58 €. Secondly, because it's a rare model that performs a lot better than a normal or even a "classic" desktop-replacement laptop. And finally, because I'm used to Alienware's performance and quality and I'd be losing much more if I sold it during its warranty period.

I already got a new notebook. After this one, I got myself an Alienware m15x, which I returned because of its very bad build quality (its plastic material was "toy-like"). Then I got a total refund and I'm today with the wonderful Alienware/Dell M17x (Since Alienware is part of Dell)

mmk92

Jad wrote
duckster wroteyou're actually shipping your laptop to ireland every time? and are you doing it from lebanon or burkina faso?
the way I see it man is that you are paying more on shipping than you would to buy a new laptop.
I say keep it aside as spare parts and get yourself a new notebook (not a desktop-like laptop).
It was a long time ago, when it was still under warranty. I was sending it from Burkina Faso to Ireland. Sometimes I pay on shipping, sometimes not... I don't think so. On the contrary, I'll lose more if I do not make use of this warranty. Why? Firstly, because it costs 3 269,58 €. Secondly, because it's a rare model that performs a lot better than a normal or even a "classic" desktop-replacement laptop. And finally, because I'm used to Alienware's performance and quality and I'd be losing much more if I sold it during its warranty period.

I already got a new notebook. After this one, I got myself an Alienware m15x, which I returned because of its very bad build quality (its plastic material was "toy-like"). Then I got a total refund and I'm today with the wonderful Alienware/Dell M17x (Since Alienware is part of Dell)

how much did the m17x cost in total?(including shipping and all)

J4D

I would convert it to a robotics platform if i get it . no screen needed. what is your final price . Bear in mind that we are talking about a piece of junk now. It's future is not guaranteed .

Jad

mmk92 wrotehow much did the m17x cost in total?(including shipping and all)

It's the M17x, not the m17x...they are 2 different models.

I didn't pay anything for that last one. It was a refund: I sent back the m15x and I got this M17x. I paid the difference between them: nearly 4150 - 3700 = 450 €.

Yes I know, I'm crazy :p

jadberro wroteI would convert it to a robotics platform if i get it . no screen needed. what is your final price . Bear in mind that we are talking about a piece of junk now. It's future is not guaranteed .

I wouldn't say it's a total piece of junk: easily removable parts such as the 2 HDDs, the Wifi adaptor (?), the DVD (DL) writer, RAMs are still working fine. I'm pretty sure the problem comes from the GPU (Or maybe the motherboard).

I don't really know for the price. As I said before, I was thinking about something like a little more than 600$. But I think I'm demanding too much for that piece. So give me your price and I'll think about it. Also, if you wish, I can leave the laptop to you for a short moment so you can analyze it and see what you could do with it before buying. I'm open to any of your suggestions.

mmk92

Jad wrote
mmk92 wrotehow much did the m17x cost in total?(including shipping and all)
It's the M17x, not the m17x...they are 2 different models.

I didn't pay anything for that last one. It was a refund: I sent back the m15x and I got this M17x. I paid the difference between them: nearly 4150 - 3700 = 450 €.

Yes I know, I'm crazy :p

jadberro wroteI would convert it to a robotics platform if i get it . no screen needed. what is your final price . Bear in mind that we are talking about a piece of junk now. It's future is not guaranteed .
I wouldn't say it's a total piece of junk: easily removable parts such as the 2 HDDs, the Wifi adaptor (?), the DVD (DL) writer, RAMs are still working fine. I'm pretty sure the problem comes from the GPU (Or maybe the motherboard).

I don't really know for the price. As I said before, I was thinking about something like a little more than 600$. But I think I'm demanding too much for that piece. So give me your price and I'll think about it. Also, if you wish, I can leave the laptop to you for a short moment so you can analyze it and see what you could do with it before buying. I'm open to any of your suggestions.

my cousin got one used off marketplace on facebook for about $340 but it was in a very good condition but it had a faulty hdd that only costed him $30 to change....i recomend a price of $130-$150

Flakk

Usually in standard laptops if the GPU is damaged this means the whole Motherboard is damaged and has to be replaced. Cause laptop GPUs are integrated into the board, they arent seperate PCBs.

Now in your case (and most of alienware laptops) the GPU is interchangeable, so I suggest that you first replace your new Video card and see if it works. If it does then you can sell it with a good fair price.

Btw what type of screwdriver do you need to do the replacement ?

mmk92

btw this is a very gd laptop, it can still outperform most mid-range current laptops in gaming

Jad

Flakk wroteBtw what type of screwdriver do you need to do the replacement ?

The X one (I don't know its name, sorry :p), but a small one. I'm just a little busy (and lazy :p) those days.

mmk92 wrotebtw this is a very gd laptop, it can still outperform most mid-range current laptops in gaming

That's why I'm really trying to fix it and not to buy a new one.

mmk92 wrote....i recomend a price of $130-$150

If so, I'd prefer to keep it ^^', maybe one day I could fix it.

edgelord101

Alienware are ripoffs! I hope you know not to buy from them again!

Jad

Tako_400 wroteAlienware are ripoffs! I hope you know not to buy from them again!

If you're talking about Alienware Europe, yes. But Alienware USA has very fair prices for the quality of service that they offer. Also, remember Alienware is no more an independent company: it is now part of Dell.

I didn't choose Alienware randomly: at that time (2005), they were the only well-known gaming laptop constructers that were able to ship to Burkina Faso. Of course, I will never buy from Alienware Europe. Today if I need a new laptop, I think the best choice for me would be to buy from Alienware USA then have it shipped by MyUS.

edgelord101

Jad wroteIf you're talking about Alienware Europe, yes. But Alienware USA has very fair prices for the quality of service that they offer. Also, remember Alienware is no more an independent company: it is now part of Dell.

I didn't choose Alienware randomly: at that time (2005), they were the only well-known gaming laptop constructers that were able to ship to Burkina Faso. Of course, I will never buy from Alienware Europe. Today if I need a new laptop, I think the best choice for me would be to buy from Alienware USA then have it shipped by MyUS.

Or better yet, don't rely on laptops for gaming. 1, your desktop will be much stronger than any stupid laptop. And 2, it'll be much cheaper.

Jad

Tako_400 wroteOr better yet, don't rely on laptops for gaming. 1, your desktop will be much stronger than any stupid laptop. And 2, it'll be much cheaper.

And how do I do if I'm moving a lot between different countries? I carry the big desktop with me? Also, I need my laptop outside my house, so instead of buying a gaming desktop + a normal laptop I simply bought a gaming laptop.

By the way, someone on Facebook MarketPlace told me he's willing to buy it for 600$. He's aware that it's a broken laptop but he told me he could repair it.

edgelord101

Jad wroteAnd how do I do if I'm moving a lot between different countries? I carry the big desktop with me? Also, I need my laptop outside my house, so instead of buying a gaming desktop + a normal laptop I simply bought a gaming laptop.

By the way, someone on Facebook MarketPlace told me he's willing to buy it for 600$. He's aware that it's a broken laptop but he told me he could repair it.

I guess. If you're going to be moving a lot, I guess you have no choice. It just sucks to know that you're spending double or maybe triple the price you could pay for a desktop just as strong or even stronger. And you got an offer for $600? Sell that bitch now!